What I Have Learned In My 41 years

Happy Thursday Ladies...I forgot to schedule this for yesterday, so it is coming to you today....a day late!

 

I need a print of this in my house ASAP!

 

Today I turn 41....I can remember back when I was in my 20's I thought 40 was "old"....now that I have been in my 40's for a year, I am realizing that 40 isn't as old as I thought it was in my younger days!

 

Every time I see this, I always laugh...

 

I would totally agree with this!

 

I have learned so much in all my years, and I do truly believe that with age comes wisdom.  I can remember being in my 20's thinking I had life figured all out, now that I am in my 40's it is very evident to me that I really didn't know as much as I thought I did. 

 

Today I am sharing with you a few things that I have learned in my 41 years.....

 

TRY TO NEVER REGRET

I try and have no regrets....I can look back on my life, and I have definitely have made my fair share of bad choices and mistakes, but I really can't say I regret anything.  Every mistake or bad decision I made, I have learned from, and all those bumps along the way have made me who I am today...and I pretty much like me!

 

DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

This is a tough one for me, but I have really been trying to just let certain things go...life is way too short to be worrying about the small stuff!

 

DON'T LET PEOPLE OR THEIR WORDS BRING YOU DOWN

One thing I have learned for sure, is there a lot of mean people out there!  Now I certainly can't say I have never been mean to someone, but I certainly do not go out of my way to be mean and hurtful.  With putting so much of my life and family on social media, I understand it opens up for some nasty criticism, but I seriously just don't get it.  It blows my mind how truly mean women can be.  I would be lying if people's harsh words never affected me or hurt my feelings, but I have learned, those people, their words and opinions mean absolutely NOTHING!  It isn't always easy to just brush off the "ugliness" of people, but I don't let it bring me down, because at the end of the day the only opinions that matter to me are those of the ones within my 4 walls.

 

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

I have had many friendships come and go over the years, and though I was sad to see some friendships fade, others needed to fade!  I can remember being in high school, and thinking it was so important to have "tons" of friends, well the one thing I have learned for sure is that I am totally OK with being able to count my friends on my two hands!  Sometimes less is truly more!

 

TREASURE THE LITTLE THINGS

This I learned shortly after I had Brooke, 22 years ago, and it really is true.  So many times we rush through life, or wish for certain times to pass, and in doing that we don't hold tight to the little things.  I truly try and treasure all the little things, I know it sounds so cliché, but for me, it really is the little things that mean the most.  I know that one day all my kids will be grown and out of the house, and I will be so happy I treasured all the little things they did and said over the years.  I have found it so important to "stop and smell the roses"!

 

DON'T TAKE THINGS OR PEOPLE FOR GRANTED

This is probably the biggest "lesson" I have learned over the years.  I mean we say this all the time right, don't take things for granted, but I think a lot of times, we do, just assuming that what we have today we will have tomorrow.  When I got married, I assumed like most newly married women, that it would last forever, I guess I took for granted that I would only ever get married once, have children, grow old and live happily ever after.  We assume we have our children, and we will watch them grow, and they will outlive us, yet I have seen people I know having to say goodbye to their children.  I take NOTHING for granted, I know that in the blink of an eye it can all be gone.  I wake up every single day and thank God for everything I have in my life, my husband, my children, my mother, my family, my home, my friends....everything.  When my mother-in-law was battling cancer, she had a sign in her kitchen that said "live for today....hope for tomorrow"....those words have stuck with me for the past 4 years now...so simple, yet so true.  I truly treasure every single day, even the really bad days, I know they are a gift, not to be taken for granted.

 

I am sure when I turn 50, there will be a few more things I have "learned" along the way, that I can add to this list. 

 

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time out of their day yesterday to wish me a Happy Birthday....one of the things that I treasure the most are the "friendships" I have made with so many women through the blog world and social media...I am truly thankful to you all!

 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for Friday Favorites!